Around 5,000 visitors flocked to the grand opening weekend celebrations for Stirling Castle’s Renaissance royal palace. More than 60 costumed performers put on a range of displays and entertainments covering everything from cannon firing and fighting with a rapier to 16th-century dance, music, cooking, fashions, makeup and midwifery.

Come and join us for a fabulous weekend of family fun. A special park and ride service has been organised for the weekend of celebrations for the opening of Stirling Castle’s magnificently refurbished Renaissance royal palace. With a royal procession launching events on the Saturday, and a series of other activities outside the castle walls on both days, the esplanade will not be available for car parking.

Historic Scotland is joining forces with Glasgow Science Festival for the first time to present the past, present and future of construction at this year’s Glasgow Science Festival. On Saturday 12th June, families can come along to Glasgow Cathedral and St Mungo’s Museum to take part in a range of free activities that highlight the science and technology behind medieval and modern engineering, from tower building to renewable energy. The event starts at 11am and runs until 4pm.

Stirling Heads together at Castle for first time in more than 200 years

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Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop today unveiled the new gallery that will display the original collection of Renaissance sculptures known as the Stirling Heads. Ahead of the opening of the refurbished Royal Palace accommodation at Stirling Castle on Saturday June 4, Ms Hyslop revealed the new climate-controlled exhibition gallery.

Join the fun at this weekend's most colourful event. Final rehearsals are underway for this weekend’s grand opening of Stirling Castle’s Renaissance royal palace. More than 60 costumed performers including jesters, musicians, dancers, swordsmen, cooks, nobles and even two 16th-century queens will be entertaining the crowds. But the star attraction is the palace itself, with its six magnificently refurbished royal appointments, which back in the 1540s were home to dowager queen, Mary of Guise, and her young daughter Mary Queen of Scots.